Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles.
Bay Area of Interest
How do you define the San Francisco Bay Area? By nine counties? Culture and commute patterns? Or even places from which you can actually see saltwater? These are the parameters some locals chew on when describing where the region’s outline begins and ends, according to a new KQED news report. The debate calls to mind the League’s most recent Bay Area League Day last February, when experts at our annual forum discussed regional identity through the lens of governmental policy. League Day fans take note: our next one will be held on February 9, 2019.
Power Moves
Days before the Global Climate Action Summit, Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 100, which aims to remove carbon emissions from the state’s electricity by 2045. The San Francisco Business Times explores this ambitious goal, while also shedding light on Bay Area tech companies’ shared commitment to renewables. So far this year, U.S. corporations have collectively added nearly four gigawatts of clean energy to the grid. Click here to learn which Bay Area giants are contributing. Then plug into our coverage on energy storage systems meeting the ups and downs of demand.
Fare Well
The multiple-day hassle of waiting for money to load on Clipper cards is about to change. Regional transit officials are planning a $194 million overhaul of the nearly obsolete fare system, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Riders will be able to use mobile phones to pay or add value to cards. The streamlining makes it easier for transit providers to extend discounts, too. Find out when the mobile app is coming and what commuters think so far. Our 2017 travel incentives article offers hints about the ways discounts affect commuter behavior.
Out of the Blue
Veterans with combat diving experience are employing skills honed in the military to help restore ocean health. They are part of a nonprofit called FORCE BLUE that was among the first to deploy to the Florida Keys and Puerto Rico when Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit last year. Dive into PRI’s article to understand what makes these veterans uniquely qualified to tackle environmental conservation and how it affects their well-being. Stay underwater to read our piece about restoring local habitat by removing toxic pilings along the Bay shoreline.
Monitor Notes is produced by Cecily O’Connor. To receive it by email, scroll to the bottom of this page, enter your email address in the box under “RECEIVE EMAIL UPDATES,” and click the red “SIGN UP” button.